Ford, Hannah E. 1993-2025 Fort Smith, Ark.
FORT SMITH, Ark. – “Life changes in the instant. The ordinary instant.” Joan Didion, The Year of Magical Thinking.
So it was for the Innumerable lives Hannah Elizabeth Ford, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, touched in her short, but profoundly accomplished, 31 years, which ended on Saturday, July 26, 2025. She meant so much to so many, and hers is a loss that will never and can never truly be understood.
Dr. Hannah Elizabeth Ford was born on Monday, Dec. 27, 1993, at North Kansas City Hospital. With much anticipation, she was surrounded by family and friends the moment she entered their world. We were blessed with a beautiful, happy baby who would go on to do whatever she set her mind to, regardless of doubt or difficulty. “Drive” is such a woefully inadequate word for the ambition she showed throughout life. She took the world on and amazed those who knew her, with the beauty, charm, and razor-sharp sense of humor that would become her trademarks.
Even as a toddler, the care and attention to detail she poured into everything she did was immediately apparent. With a stunning imagination, precocious and wise demeanor, and an infectious, disarming laugh, life seemed to be made for Hannah. She never took anything for granted, and once she set her sights on something, she was truly unstoppable.
Valedictorian of her high school class, she enrolled at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, in the fall of 2012, gaining membership to Sigma Tau Delta shortly after, graduating in 2016 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English with a minor in Pre-Medicine.
Hannah had many passions and was heavily involved in several organizations that helped form her strong sense of self, such as 4-H, Girl Scouts, student government, Missouri Leadership Seminar, Missouri Girls’ State, AHEC ACES, and the Cardinal Blazers.
From the time she could talk, her only plan was to become a doctor. She tended to her baby dolls with the attention and care she would eventually show her patients as a student doctor in medical school at Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she also earned a Master’s Degree in Biological Sciences in 2020. A lifelong learner, Hannah was always pursuing new hobbies, and was an inveterate shopper, always looking impossibly polished and stylish.
She has made many friends, both in educational and professional settings, and was the most thoughtful and supportive friend anyone could ask for. If ever someone needed help or advice, she would always have an answer, even if she had to make the appropriate phone calls with her innumerable connections or spend hours researching. Hannah spent her entire life taking care of others and bringing people comfort, often with a beautiful smile on her face, a witty pop culture reference, and the perfect gift.
After the passing of her family’s beloved Maltese, Stella, in 2023, Hannah adopted her tiny sidekick, a Maltese named Ivy June Louise, who accompanied Hannah almost everywhere on her arm in a Louis Vuitton Speedy, even on walks with her partner, fellow medical student Anirudh Iyer. She and Hannah were truly an iconic duo. Her love of her Ivy was matched only by her love for her family and friends, followed closely behind by traveling, reading and re-watching her favorite comfort shows.
Hannah is the granddaughter of the late J.D. Ford, of Osborn, Missouri, and the late Nevin and Delores Place, of Hamilton, Missouri.
She is survived by her parents, Joy and David Ford, of the home; and her built-in best friends: sister, Abbie Ford, of North Kansas City, brother, Addison Ford and brother-in-law, Nicholas Ensign, of Kansas City; in addition to grandma, Sandra Ford, of Osborn; aunt, Julie and uncle David Rains, of Gallatin, Missouri; aunt, Kelly and uncle Zachary Place, of Sibley, Missouri; and cousins: Hattie (Mark) Morey, Riley (Jordan) Rains, their children Lincoln, Amelia, Palmer and Beckham; Graydee (Essie) Rains; Colton Place; Emma Place (Samuel Foster); and close extended family: great-aunt, Karen Sandridge; Scott (Geri) Sandridge, their son Tristan; Kari (Brook) Nienstedt, and their children Kacy, Cole and Rachel.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at Gano Chapel, William Jewell College, in Liberty, Missouri, at 1 p.m., with a meal of Hannah’s favorites to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to Bram Funeral Home in Hamilton, or brought the day of the service to establish memorials at Hannah’s beloved alma maters. Please make checks for the Ford Family.
Now, this Barbie is a doctor. As published in the St. Joseph News-Press.
